Assessment of Species Diversity in Coffee-Based Agroforests and Natural Forests in Kodagu, Central Western Ghats

Kodagu district in Central Western Ghats, recognized for its rich biodiversity, includes diverse land-use systems such as natural forests, coffee agroforests, and plantations. This study assessed species diversity in Coffea arabica and Coffea canephora-based agroforestry across moist deciduous and evergreen vegetation types in Kodagu. Using diversity indices and Bray-Curtis cluster analysis, the study compared tree density, species richness, and ecological dominance between coffee plantations and natural forests. The results revealed that coffee plantations and Shannon–Wiener index of 3.38 to 3.96 and species richness of 59 to 90. The importance value index (IVI) indicated that exotic species, such as Grevillea robusta, dominate coffee agroforests in moist deciduous vegetation type, while native species dominate evergreen forests, moist deciduous forests and coffee agroforests of evergreen vegetation type. In cluster analysis evergreen forest forms a distant cluster with similarity value of 0.9, suggesting higher diversity in this land use system. The findings highlight the ecological significance of natural forests and the role of coffee agroforests in biodiversity conservation. The study emphasizes the need for conservation strategies to balance agroforestry expansion and biodiversity preservation in Kodagu.